Govt launches virtual systems for quality assessment in healthcare centres.

• Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday launched virtual systems to aid in providing quality certifications for healthcare facilities
• Virtual National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM)
• Objective: It will serve as a dashboard to help national, state, and district health institutions and facilities quickly monitor compliance with Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) and take appropriate actions.
• Additionally, it will include an on-the-spot food license and registration initiative for food vendors.
• Role of Health officers: Community Health Officers lead the primary healthcare teams at AAM, who are trained to provide initial care, triage, and refer patients to the appropriate facilities for further treatment.
• This approach lessens the load on secondary and tertiary care facilities by offering primary care services nearer to the community, supported by effective referral connections.
• Benefit: Early identification and management of health issues are crucial in preventing disease progression, thereby reducing the need for advanced care.
• National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS): It was formulated for District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Rural and Urban Primary Healthcare Centres, and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Sub Centres), aiming for complete compliance by 2026.

NQAS for Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL)

• Objective: Through the establishment of Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL), the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Government of India, has bolstered laboratory systems under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
• Quality Diagnostic Services: These labs ensure accessible, efficient, and quality diagnostic services, crucial for effective healthcare delivery.
• Aim: The standards aim to enhance the quality and competence of management and testing systems in IPHLs, thereby improving the reliability of test results and fostering trust among clinicians, patients, and the public in lab outputs.

IPHS Dashboard for Real-time monitoring

• The IPHS Dashboard is an innovative digital platform for monitoring public health facilities in real-time. It offers a detailed overview of the assessment and compliance status of various facilities, such as District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centers, Primary Health Centers, and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
• Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS)
• FoSCoS is a cutting-edge, nationwide IT platform tailored to meet all food safety regulatory requirements. This advanced system streamlines licensing and registration processes, providing an improved user experience.
• Functions: In addition to licensing and registrations, FoSCoS supports self-compliance with features like online return filings, hygiene ratings for food service establishments, and third-party audits for safety standards.
• Integrated with other IT platforms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), FoSCoS offers a comprehensive solution for food business operators.
• Select categories such as wholesalers, distributors, retailers, transporters, storage facilities without atmospheric control + cold storage, importers, food vending agencies, direct sellers, and merchant-exporters can now obtain licences instantly, without needing intervention from a licensing authority.

Project-76.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken up a preliminary study on the design and development of an indigenous conventional submarine under Project-76.
• A formal case for project sanction will be put up to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after the initial preliminary study is completed.

Submarines

• Submarine are naval vessels or ships that is capable of propelling itself beneath the water or underground as well as on the water’s surface.
• Submarines missiles or weapon systems are called a torpedo
• First used: Submarines were first employed in naval  warfare during World War I (1914–18), when Germany employed them to destroy surface merchant vessels.
• Submarines in Indian Navy: The Navy has a 30-year submarine building programme and after the P-75I, it intends to design and build conventional submarines indigenously.

1. Nuclea  ballistic missile submarines (SSBN):

• The Arihant class submarines comprising INS Arihant (S2) and INS Arighat (S3) are  developed under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines.

       2. Convention Diesel Electric submarines:

• Kalvari Class: INS Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene class submarines built under Project 75, commissioned on 14 December 2017.
• Sindhughosh Class: Sindhughosh class submarines are the Kilo class diesel-electric submarines and have a displacement of 3,000 tonnes.
• Shishumar Class: The Shishumar class vessels (Type 1500) are diesel-electric submarines being developed by the German yard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft.

Project-76

• Project-76 is a program to design & develop a new generation of indigenous conventional Air Independent Propulsion equipped diesel-electric attack submarines for the navy.
• The Project-76 will be a continuation of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, to build a conventional submarine
• The Arihant series of nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) are being built under the project.
• Successor to: The project will be a successor to Project-75 (France) and Project 75I (German/ Spanish) and harness the learning and the best of their technology.
• Built by: The project will be a joint effort by DRDO and the Warship Design Bureau of Indian Navy (design of the submarine is expected to be completed by 2026)
• Fleet Size: The Indian Navy is anticipating to build 6 submarines under Project 76 with the weight ranging from 3000-4000 tons.
• Technology: It is expected to features some of the very advance technologies such as AIP technology, indigenous Weapon Control system, & Lithium-ion batteries,  advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, long-range guided torpedoes, tube-launched anti-ship missiles, sonars and sensor suites.
• Indigenous Content: The Project will have close to 70-80% indigenous content, including weapons, missiles, combat management system, sonars, communications, Electronic Warfare suite, mast and periscope.

Project-75I (India)

• It is a military acquisition initiative which aims to procure The Scorpene class diesel-electric attack submarines with fuel cells and Air-Independent Propulsion System (AIP) for the Indian Navy to build India’s naval strength and develop indigenous submarine-building capabilities.
• Stealth capability: The AIP technology in Project 75I enables the submarines stay submerged for up to two weeks as opposed to the scorpene class submarines under Project 75 which has to come up the surface every 48 hours.
• Strategic Partnership model: Mazagaon Dock Limited has signing an agreement with German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in June 2023 to bid for the project.
• Larson & Toubro also signed a teaming agreement with Spain’s Navantia submitting a techno-commercial bid for the project.

Scorpene Class Submarines

• Project-75: The MDL has built six Scorpene class submarines under the Project-75, as part of a $ 3.75 billion deal signed in October 2005.
• Strategic Partner: The French defence firm, Naval Group allowed for transfer of technology.

Commissioning Status:

• The first four: INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela were commissioned between 2017 and 2021.
• INS Vagir, was commissioned in January this year.
• INS Vagsheer: The sixth submarine INS Vagsheer began her sea trials.

In September, astronomers predict a rare nova explosion (explosion of T Coronae Borealis) will brighten our night sky.

T Coronae Borealis:

• T Coronae Borealis is known as the “Blaze Star” or “T CrB.”
• The T CrB nova was last observed from Earth in 1946.
• This event will occur approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth.

Nova Explosion:

What is a Nova Explosion?

• A nova explosion occurs when a star explodes due to its interaction with a nearby star.
• Explosion Trigger: When the heat and pressure become excessive, a thermonuclear explosion occurs.
• Brightness Change: This explosion makes the white dwarf appear much brighter in the sky.
• Post-Explosion: After the explosion subsides, the star returns to its original brightness.
• Mechanism: It is a recurring event during the prolonged death of two neighbouring stars within the same system.

Visibility of the Nova:

• Naked Eye Observation: The nova can be seen without a telescope for about a week.
• Appearance: During this time, it will look like a new star has appeared in the sky.

Nova:

• Origin of Name: The term “nova” comes from the Latin word for “new.”
•  A nova is a transient astronomical event.
• In this event, a new bright star appears suddenly and then fades over weeks or months.
• Nova occurs with a system of two stars.

1. Red giant
2. White dwarf

• It revolves around each other.
• White dwarf attracts matter from red giant’s atmosphere when they are close
• This causes nuclear explosions and ejection of gases.

Causes and Characteristics:

• Star Involvement: All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems.
• Variations: The appearance of a nova depends on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars.
• Main Sub-Classes: Novae are categorised into classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. All are types of cataclysmic variable stars.

Supernova:

• A supernova is the explosion of a massive star.

Main Types of Supernovae

• Supernovae are broadly categorised into two main types based on their explosion mechanisms.

Type 1: Thermonuclear Runaway (Type Ia SNe)

• Occurrence: Happens in binary star systems where at least one star is a white dwarf.
• Mechanism: The white dwarf undergoes a thermonuclear explosion.

Type 2: Core-Collapse

• Occurrence: Occurs in stars with masses greater than eight times the mass of our sun.
• Mechanism: The star collapses in on itself and explodes.

Subtypes of Supernovae

• Classification by Spectra: Each main type has various subtypes, which are classified based on the elements observed in their spectra.

Causes of Supernovae

1. Supernova from a Dying Massive Star

One type of supernova occurs when a massive star ends its life with a huge explosion.

Mass Requirement: This happens in stars at least five times the mass of our sun.

Fuel Consumption: Massive stars burn a lot of nuclear fuel in their cores, producing immense energy and heat.

Collapse and Explosion:

• When the star runs out of fuel, it cools, reducing pressure.
• Gravity takes over, causing the star to collapse rapidly.
• This rapid collapse creates shock waves, leading to an explosion of the outer part of the star.

2. Supernova from a Binary Star System

• Binary Systems: Another type of supernova can occur in systems where two stars orbit each other.
• White Dwarf: Involves at least one Earth-sized white dwarf, the remnant of a star similar to our sun after it has run out of fuel.

Collision or Accretion:

• If a white dwarf collides with another star or accumulates too much matter from its companion, it can explode.
• This explosion is a powerful event, resulting in a supernova.

This year marks the 169th anniversary of the beginning of the Santhal Hul.

• The Santhal Hul/rebellion was one of the earliest peasant uprisings against British colonial oppression.
• Every year, the state of Jharkhand celebrates June 30 as ‘Hul Diwas’, marking the beginning of the rebellion.

Santhals

• The Santal people, also known as Santalis, were not the original inhabitants of modern-day Santhal Pargana, which includes Dumka, Pakur, Godda, Sahibganj, Deoghar, and parts of Jamtara.
• They migrated from the Birbhum and Manbhum regions (present-day Bengal), starting around the late 18th century.
• Reason for Migration: The 1770 famine in Bengal prompted the Santals to begin moving and the British turned to them for help.
• Current Status: The Santal community is the third largest tribal community in India, spread across Jharkhand-Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal.

Background of the Genesis of the Santhal Hul Revolt

• Permanent Settlement Act of 1790: With the enactment of the Permanent Settlement Act of 1790, the East India Company aimed to bring more area under settled agriculture to increase revenue.
• Settlement in Damin-i-Koh: The British chose the heavily forested area of Damin-i-Koh to be settled by the Santals to ensure a steady stream of revenue.
• The Santhals who migrated due to the 1770 famine in Bengal were promised settlement and agricultural opportunities in Damin-i-Koh.

Colonial Oppression:

• Once settled, the Santals faced colonial oppression.
• They faced repressive practices such as Land-grabbing and Begari (bonded labour).
• Bonded labour was of two types: Kamioti and Harwahi.
• Predatory money-lenders and the police became byproducts of the system, exacerbating their plight.

Santhal Hul of 1885

• Santhal Hul of 1855 was a revolt against imperialism led by four brothers, Sidho, Kanho, Chand, and Bhairav Murmu, along with sisters Phulo and Jhano.
• Fought against: The Santhals also fought against the upper castes, zamindars, darogas, and moneylenders, described by the umbrella term ‘diku’.
• Reason: In an attempt to safeguard the economic, cultural, and religious aspects of their lives.
• Place of Origin of the Revolt: The rebellion took place in the lush Damin-i-Koh region – ‘Damin-i-Koh’ meaning the ‘skirts of the hills’ – and took the British by complete surprise.
• These areas include present-day Sahibganj, Godda, Dumka, Deoghar, Pakur, and parts of Jamtara in Jharkhand, specifically around the Rajmahal Hills of eastern Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district.
• Leadership and Divine Inspiration: The Murmu brothers, inspired by the Santhal God Thakur Bonga’s divination, led the rebellion.
• Around 60,000 Santhals participated in the uprising against the East India Company.
• Guerrilla Warfare: The Santhals engaged in guerrilla warfare that lasted almost six months.
• More than 15,000 Santhals were killed, and 10,000 villages were destroyed.
• Suppression of the Rebellion:  The rebellion was finally crushed on January 3, 1856. The
• The British hanged Sidhu on August 9, 1855, and Kanhu in February 1856.
• Although the insurrection ended, its impact was everlasting.
• Legislations to safeguard the Adivasis in Jharkhand

A new banking malware called ‘Snowblind’ is targeting Android users to steal banking credentials.

Snowblind malware:

• It is a new Android malware that uses a built-in Android security feature to bypass anti-tamper mechanisms and steal banking credentials.
• This malware exploits a built-in security feature to bypass anti-tamper protection in apps handling sensitive information.
• It works by repacking an app so it is unable to detect the use of accessibility features that can be used to extract sensitive information like login credentials and get remote access to the app.
• It exploits a feature called ‘seccomp’, which stands for ‘secure computing’.
• It is part of the underlying Linux kernel and the Android operating system and is used to check applications for signs of tampering.
• The security firm discovered that Snowblind injects a piece of code that loads before seccomp initialises the anti-tampering measures. This enables the malware to bypass security mechanisms and utilize accessibility services to remotely view the victim’s screen.
• Snowblind can also disable biometric and two-factor authentication, two security features commonly used by banking apps to thwart unauthorised access. Like typical Android malware, Snowblind infects users who install apps from untrusted sources.
• While the security firm was unable to identify how many devices are affected by the new malware, it says that Snowblind is mostly active in Southeast Asia.